Flesh and Blood: Everything You Need to Know
Before you hit the beach, find romance, sniff out lies, and suspect everyone, get the insider scoop on everything Flesh and Blood, including details on how to watch, who stars alongside Imelda Staunton, Francesca Annis, Stephen Rea and more! Then watch all four episodes of Flesh and Blood right now with PBS Passport, an added member benefit!
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What is Flesh and Blood and What Can We Expect?
Flesh and Blood is a four-part family drama/thriller that star Imelda Staunton calls “an unusual, refreshing drama that is hugely intriguing.” You can expect to be guessing and obsessing from start to finish, but also to care about its richly-drawn characters, as Staunton describes, “What is clever about Flesh and Blood is you want to know what has happened, but you also become invested in everyone’s story.”
When glamorous widow Vivien finds unexpected romance with retired doctor Mark, her adult children have mixed reactions—just another complication heaped onto the mounting problems of their own, be it money troubles for debt-ridden Jake; professional troubles for executive Helen; or relationship troubles for Natalie. What does desperately lonely, unnervingly nosy neighbor/amateur sleuth, Mary think? And is Mark really what he seems? You’ll delight in finding out, and you’ll be gripped from the very beginning as flashing police lights, a bloodstained rock beneath a broken balcony, and a body being carried away on a stretcher will have you absolutely needing to know who did what to whom?
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How to Watch Flesh and Blood
Binge every episode of Flesh and Blood right now with PBS Passport, an added member benefit. As you watch, make sure to keep up with what we know, what we don’t know, and what we suspect with our episode recaps!
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Where is Flesh and Blood Filmed?
Filmed along England’s dramatic West Sussex coast, Flesh and Blood is soaked in sunshine and warm beach breezes. But don’t let the gentle surf and sunny skies fool you—the drama definitely goes to darkly delicious places! Flesh and Blood‘s director, Louise Hooper, describes the show as “…not a conventional thriller; it is mischievous and witty and doesn’t play the police procedure too heavily.” To that end, she worked to “…create a sun drenched, playful world, full of idiosyncratic detail and fun, rather than going down the more usual monochrome, gritty thriller trope. We reveled in the wild cliff tops, sea, and wide stretches of beach right in front of Mary and Vivien’s homes.”
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Who are Flesh and Blood's Cast and Characters?
Flesh and Blood‘s cast is an exciting ensemble of British icons and familiar faces from many a beloved MASTERPIECE series, from Cranford to Sherlock to Little Dorrit, as well as celebrated big-screen roles. Imelda Staunton (Cranford, Harry Potter‘s Dolores Umbridge and The Crown‘s future Queen Elizabeth II!) stars as nosy neighbor, Mary, while Francesca Annis (Home Fires, Cranford) is matriarch Vivien. Playing her son, Jake, is Russell Tovey (Little Dorrit, Years and Years, Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville), while daughters Helen and Natalie are played by Claudie Blakley (Cranford, Pride & Prejudice, Gosford Park) and Lydia Leonard (Gentleman Jack), respectively. Rounding out the main cast is Stephen Rea (The Crying Game, V for Vendetta) as paramour and retired surgeon, Mark. Look for MASTERPIECE alumni in guest star roles, too, including Sharon Small (Inspector Lynley) and Vincent Regan (Poldark Season 5)!
Imelda Staunton as Mary
Francesca Annis as Vivien
Russell Tovey as Jake
Claudie Blakley as Helen
Lydia Leonard as Natalie
Stephen Rea as Mark
